This Battery-Swapping EV Motorcycle Looks Wildly Uncomfortable

How a motorcycle fits me is more important than just about anything. It's about feeling good behind the bars, which, in turn, makes you a better rider, safer, and just have a better experience while riding. No one, and I mean no one, wants to sit on a bike for an extended period of time and feel like they're cramped as hell or have something digging into their calves.

Yet, when I first saw the Clandestine Design Group's Cellcius C-01 Hypersports motorcycle concept, an EV motorcycle that promises big range and swappable batteries for fast charging, I couldn't help but think, "That looks like the most uncomfortable riding position around."

Why? Because the swappable batteries, of which there are eight, all feature the same length and width from top to bottom and all with the same hexagonal shape. Yeah, it looks like they'd all dig into your calves, your things, and your ankles when you're on it.

Has anyone at Clandestine Design Group ever seen a motorcycle's contours before?

Shocking

Royal Enfield Wants You To Be Covered In Fleas, At Least If They're The Flying Flea EV Lineup

LiveWire's Stock Has Absolutely Tanked

Now let's just get this out of the way off the bat. It's a concept. It's not a production motorcycle, it's just Clandestine's idea of what an swappable battery, high mileage, EV motorcycle could look like. It ain't real just yet. It does, however promise big things.

The main selling point of the Cellcius C-01 Hypersports is the eight swappable batteries, which Clandestine calls, "Hex-Core." Each of the interchangeable batteries is good for 3kWh, which translates to 24kWh total. That's basically double of what most modern EV motorcycles offer, but does so in what I would actually consider an innovative way, i.e., the swappable nature of them. In this setup, this means you'd theoretically get 195 horsepower. What the design group doesn't say is how many miles it'd get, but it talks about how riders could put one or two for short trips, while for track days or longer rides, add the full complement of eight.

Despite that, which I'd generally consider good, I have to point out that the hexagonal shape of the swappable batteries, along with how they're positioned in the frame of the bike, makes me believe that those sharp edges you make riding annoying to unbearable. 

Motorcycles are contoured from the top to the bottom, as that's how humans are shaped. There are curves you need to follow. This is not only just a straight angle, but there are also pressure points caused by the battery design that'd hit in weird places. I feel like this motorcycle would make you want to just stop every half hour to massage your calves and thighs. 

Right now though, it's just a rendering. The physical motorcycle doesn't exist. Hopefully, if Clandestine actually wants to put their money where their mouth is, they'll build it for real and make some changes. Or maybe I'm wrong and it won't hit where I think it'll hit. 

Stay informed with our newsletter every weekday

 

back

Subscribe For more info, read our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.